Airflow generator

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an airflow generator, including a plate, a magnetic brake and a housing. The plate has a pivot point and a swinging end. Two magnetic poles are assembled at predefined locations on the plate nearby the pivot point. The magnetic coil is located opposite to magnetic poles of the plate, then a controller is used to control the magnetization state of the magnetic coil, thus yielding suction and repulsion with magnetic pole and driving the swinging end of the plate. The volume of the generator of the present invention is minimized, but an efficient heat-radiating effect is achieved to resolve the bottleneck of a typical radiator fan, making it applicable to the heat-radiating structure of various small-sized electronic devices.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an airflow generator, and more particularly to an innovative generator, which can generate airflow through a magnetic induction principle, enabling application to a heat-radiating structure.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98

Electronic devices generate heat energy depending upon the scale of operation and capacity. Currently, the commonly used heat-radiating structure of electronics is a radiator fan, whose volume is decreased in response to the developmental trend of lightweight electronics.

However, the radiator fan, mainly composed of a rotor, a stator and an annular fan blade, is limited to cylindrical space. When the annular fan blade is shrunk to a certain degree, the fan blade's heat-radiating effect may become poor. In addition, it is difficult mold and manufacture a such a fan, and there is a higher chance of a defect. Such a radiator fan is often applied to a desktop or laptop computer. Owing to rapidly increasing functions and operational capability, some handheld electronic products (e.g. mobile phones, PDA, digital camera) will generate more heat energy than ever before. The handheld electronic products may also be affected by excessively high temperatures, resulting in shorter service life and greater hazards. Thus, the typical radiator fan cannot bring about a satisfactory heat-radiating effect for small-sized electronic products, posing a challenge for the industry operators.

Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve efficacy.

To this end, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The airflow generator of the present invention has a unique structure with respect to the plate, magnetic brake and housing. Unlike a typical radiator fan, the controller of the magnetic brake is used to control the magnetization state of the magnetic coil, thus yielding suction and repulsion with magnetic poles of the plate, and driving the swinging end of the plate. As compared with a typical radiator fan disclosed in the prior art, the volume of the present invention could be minimized. However, an efficient heat-radiating effect could be achieved to resolve the bottleneck of a typical radiator fan in this regard. The airflow generator of the present invention could be widely applied to the heat-radiating structures of various small-sized electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones, PDA, digital camera), providing efficient heat-radiating effect with improved applicability.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows another lateral schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of another application example of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the present invention, which is applied to the electronic device.

FIG. 5 shows another schematic view of another application example of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of the application example in FIG. 5, which is applied to the electronic device.

FIG. 7 shows another schematic view of the application of the plate structure of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows still another schematic view of an application of the present invention, wherein the magnetic pole and magnetic coil are designed into a modular structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict preferred embodiments of improved airflow generator of the present invention. The embodiments are provided for only explanatory purposes.

The airflow generator A includes a long-shaped plate 10 with predefined thickness, which comprises a pivot point 11 and a swinging end 12 far away from the pivot point 11. Two magnetic poles are assembled at predefined locations of plate 10 nearby the pivot point 11. In this preferred embodiment, N and S magnetic poles 13, 14 are assembled at two opposite sides of the plate 10.

A magnetic brake 20 includes a magnetic coil and a controller 23. The magnetic coil of the preferred embodiment comprises the first magnetic coil 21 and second magnetic coil 22, located opposite to N and S magnetic poles 13, 14 of the plate 10. The controller 23 is used to control the magnetization state of the magnetic coil 21, 22, thus yielding suction and repulsion with N and S magnetic poles 13, 14 of the plate 10, and driving the swinging end 12 of the plate 10.

The pivot point 11 of plate 10 could be located between the swinging end 12 and magnetic pole 13, 14 (shown in FIGS. 1, 2).

Referring to FIG. 3, said magnetic poles 13, 14 could also be located between the swinging end 12 and pivot point 11.

The swinging end 12 of the plate 10 is more flexible than the pivot point 11. When the swinging end 12 is activated, a better airflow effect could be achieved due to such flexibility.

The swinging end 12 of the plate 10 is wider than the pivot point 11 (shown in FIG. 2).

The section from the swinging end 12 to the pivot point 11 is longer than the section from the magnetic pole 13, 14 to the pivot point 11 (shown in FIGS. 1, 2).

FIG. 4 depicts an application of the plate 10 and magnetic brake 20 of the airflow generator A, whereby they can be assembled nearby the processor 41 in the preset electronic device 40, e.g. mobile phone, PDA and digital camera, etc. The controller 23 of the magnetic brake 20 is used to control the magnetization state of the magnetic coil 21, 22, thus yielding suction and repulsion with magnetic pole 13, 14, and driving the swinging end 12 of the plate 10 to generate airflow for heat radiation (similar to the operation of fan).

Furthermore, FIG. 5 depicts a preferred embodiment of airflow generator A2 of the present invention, which comprises a housing 30. A space 31 is provided within said housing 30 to accommodate said plate 10. The housing 30 includes an air inlet 32 and an air outlet 33, of which the air outlet 33 is located opposite to the swinging end 12 of the plate 10. The air inlet 32 could be located on the lateral wall of the housing 30 correspondingly to the pivot point 11 of the plate 10. The housing 30 can serve as the basement and carrier of the plate 10 and magnetic brake 20 separately, but also channel the ingoing and outgoing air current. Referring to FIG. 5, when the swinging end 12 of the plate 10 is activated, air W could be guided from air inlet 32 into the space 31 of the housing 30, and then discharged from the air outlet 33 via the motion of swinging end 12. Referring to FIG. 6, when airflow generator A2 is assembled into the electronic device 40, the heat-radiation effect could be achieved by aligning the air inlet 32 with the heat source (e.g. processor 41), and linking the air outlet 33 to the exterior of the electronic device 40.

The air outlet 33 of the housing 30 could be designed into an expanded structure to increase the heat-radiating effect.

Referring to FIG. 7, the plate 10B of the present invention is a dual-piece structure, and one end of the plate 10B is linked with a U-shaped portion, thus forming an inner space 15 to accommodate the magnetic pole 16.

Referring to FIG. 8, the magnetic pole 17 and magnetic coil 26 are a modular structure, so that an assembly portion 18 is located atone side of the plate 10 closer to the pivot point 11 and linked to the magnetic pole 17. When the magnetic pole 17 moves flexibly under the magnetization action of magnetic coil 26 (shown by arrow L1), the swinging end 12 of the plate 10 could yield swinging movement through the assembly portion 18 (shown by arrow L2). 

1. An airflow generator, comprising: an oblong-shaped plate with predefined thickness, the plate having a pivot point and a swinging end away from the pivot point; two magnetic poles assembled at predefined locations nearby said pivot point of the plate; and a magnetic brake, being comprised of a magnetic coil and a controller, said magnetic coil being located opposite to said two magnetic poles of the plate, said magnetic coil having a magnetization state controlled by said controller yielding attraction and repulsion with said two magnetic poles of the plate, driving said swinging end of the plate.
 2. The generator defined in claim 1, wherein said pivot point is located between said swinging end and said two magnetic poles.
 3. The generator defined in claim 1, wherein said two magnetic poles are located between said swinging end and said pivot point.
 4. The generator defined in claim 1, wherein said two magnetic poles are comprised of N and S magnetic poles located at two sides of the plate, said magnetic coil of said magnetic brake comprising a first magnetic coil and second magnetic coil, located opposite to said N and S magnetic poles.
 5. The generator defined in claim 1, wherein said two magnetic poles and said magnetic coil have modular structure, the plate having an assembly portion located at one side of the plate closer to said pivot point and linked to a magnetic pole.
 6. The generator defined in claim 1, wherein said swinging end of the plate is more flexible than said pivot point.
 7. The generator defined in claim 1, wherein said swinging end of the plate is wider than said pivot point.
 8. The generator defined in claim 2, wherein the plate has a section from said swinging end to said pivot point being longer than a section from the magnetic poles to said pivot point.
 9. An airflow generator, comprising: plate with predefined thickness, being comprised of a pivot point and a swinging end away from said pivot point; two magnetic poles assembled at predefined locations nearby pivot point of said plate; a magnetic brake, being comprised of a magnetic coil and a controller, said magnetic coil being located opposite to said two magnetic poles of said plate, said magnetic coil having a magnetization state controlled by said controller, yielding attraction and repulsion with magnetic poles of said plate, driving said swinging end of said plate; and a housing, having a space to accommodate said plate, said housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, said air outlet being located opposite to said swinging end of said plate.
 10. The generator defined in claim 9, wherein said pivot point is located between said swinging end and said two magnetic poles.
 11. The generator defined in claim 9, wherein said two magnetic poles are located between said swinging end and said pivot point.
 12. The generator defined in claim 9, wherein said two magnetic poles are comprised of N and S magnetic poles located at two sides of the plate, said magnetic coil of said magnetic brake comprising a first magnetic coil and second magnetic coil, located opposite to said N and S magnetic poles.
 13. The generator defined in claim 9, wherein said two magnetic poles and said magnetic coil have modular structure, the plate having an assembly portion located at one side of the plate closer to said pivot point and linked to a magnetic pole.
 14. The generator defined in claim 9, wherein said swinging end of the plate is more flexible than said pivot point.
 15. The generator defined in claim 9, wherein said swinging end of the plate is wider than said pivot point.
 16. The generator defined in claim 10, wherein the plate has a section from said swinging end to said pivot point being longer than a section from the magnetic poles to said pivot point.
 17. The generator defined in claim 9, wherein said air outlet of said housing has an expanded structure. 